weakness

American  

[week-nis] / ˈwik nɪs /

noun

• weaknesses
  plural

1. the state or quality of being weak; lack of strength, firmness, vigor, or the like; feebleness.

   Synonyms:

   fragility

   Antonyms:

   strength

2. an inadequate or defective quality, as in a person's character; slight fault or defect.

   to show great sympathy for human weaknesses.

   Synonyms:

   flaw

3. a self-indulgent liking or special fondness, as for a particular thing.

   I've always had a weakness for the opera.

   Synonyms:

   appetite, hunger, passion, penchant

4. an object of special desire; something very difficult to resist.

   Chocolates were her weakness.

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weakness British  

/ ˈwiːknɪs /

noun

1. the state or quality of being weak

2. a deficiency or failing, as in a person's character

3. a self-indulgent fondness or liking

   a weakness for chocolates

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weakness Idioms  

1. see have a weakness for.

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Synonym Usage

See fault.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonweakness
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• weaknesses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of weakness

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English waikenes, weikenes. See weak, -ness

Explanation

The point where something fails to work properly or to hold up is its weakness. If a building crumbles in a storm, it's probably because of a weakness — a flaw or defect — in its structure. Weakness can indicate a physical weakness, like a chair with one wobbly leg, or flaw in an idea, like a plan for a lemonade stand that doesn't include any cups for serving the lemonade. People can show weakness too, when they are helpless to take action. The origin of weakness can be traced all the way back to its Proto-Indo-European root of weik, "to bend."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

weakness weaknesses

The wide rate gap has been a major driver of the yen’s weakness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

"This cloak-and-dagger act speaks to the deception behind these accusations and to their weakness," he added.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

People like Rupar, who post candid videos and photos that reveal his human weakness, pierce through the increasingly fragile White House efforts to prop up the 80-year-old president as the epitome of strength and masculinity.

From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026

We freaked out about the elevator and the escalator and the laptop; British guys in the 1750s thought the umbrella was a sign of weakness.

From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026

Beauty in the darkness … and power in the weakness.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

“We need to thoroughly examine our vulnerabilities and our weaknesses . . . and we need to shore up those vulnerabilities and expect the unexpected and not be surprised by it.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

To address those weaknesses, the framework recommends drawing on a much broader range of information.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026

The cycle has repeated: an exam goes wrong, students protest, a committee is appointed and reforms are proposed - only for another crisis to expose the same weaknesses.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

But I do think that at the end of the day, he’s very aware of our roster, strengths, weaknesses, and his value to the ball club, and whatever that means.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

I believed he had no human weaknesses or faults, and that, therefore, he could make no mistakes and that he could do no wrong.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Related Words

• deficiency
• failing
• flaw
• fragility
• frailty
• gap
• instability
• lack
• lapse
• shortcoming
• vulnerability